Musical pipes



Oct. 6, 1964 .1.c. GUINNEss 3,151,517

' MUSICAL PIPEs Filed April 15, 1963 United States APatent' O 3,151,517 MUSICAL PIPES .lohn C. Guinness, 1241 N. Harper Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Apr. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 273,176

6 Claims. (Cl. 84-330) rylene results in outstanding tonal qualities.

The simplicity, ruggedness and relatively low cost of musical pipes with plastic barrels make `them especially suitable f or children. It is highly desirable to provide the pipes in sets, each Vset comprising a tenor pipe, an alto pipe and asoprano pipe. Such a set affords a child a choice of scales and,.more important, encourages a child owning such a set tol induce others to join in playing the three pipes in concert.

One disadvantage of a child owning such a `set is that it is only, too easy ,to lose or misplace one of thethree pipes. "Another disadvantage is that it is awkward to carry three separate pipes. Another disadvantage is that the mouthpieces of the three pipes may become inadvertently contaminated if the three pipes are carried separately with all threepipes fully exposed. A still further disadvantage is `thatsuch asetof pipes gathers dust `during periods when it is not in use.

One object of the present invention is to eliminatrthese disadvantages and a second important object is to provide such a set in an attractive unitary form.

, Broadly described, these objects are attained by dimensioning the three barrels of the pipes to telescope together into a compact form of substantially the same size and volume as the largest tenor pipe. In thecompact form of the set, the alto pipe telescopes into the open end of the tenor pipe to form therewith an effectively closed container and the soprano pipe is housed in this container with the barrel of the soprano pipe telescoped into the barrel of the alto pipe.

In the preferred practice of the invention, the mouthpiece of each pipe telescopes over the barrel to form an outer circumferential shoulder and these shoulders serve as stop shoulders in the procedure of converting th three separate pipes into a single compact package. First the soprano pipe is telescoped into the alto pipe until its stop shoulder abuts the open end of the alto pipe and then the alto pipe with the soprano pipe therein is telescoped into the tenor pipe until the stop shoulder of the alto pipe" abuts the open end of the tenor pipe.

The resulting compact assembly is of pleasing design and configuration since the profile is formed by the barrel of the tenor pipe with two mouthpieces at opposite ends of the barrel, one mouthpiece being the ,mouthpiece of the alto pipe. In the preferred practice of the invention the design is further attractive because the three barrels are fabricated of light transmitting-material to make the interiors of the barrels visible, the effect being especially pleasing if the barrels are colored.

In the preferred practice of the invention, a cover or casing, for example a plastic envelope, is provide to enclose the telescoped pipes. Such a casing protects the compact assembly against damage and contamination 3,151,517 Patented Oct. 6,1964

ICC

when the assembly is being carried by the owner and pro `tects the assembly against dust accumulation when the assembly is stored between periods of use. f

v A further feature of the invention is the concept of including a swab for cleaning the three'pipes with the swab conveniently stored and confined by the telescoped assembly. The swab is stored in the barrel of the tenor pipe near the mouthpiece but is easily removed because it is equipped with a piece of string with a weight on the endo the string.

The features and advantages of the invention may .be understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

' FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the three pipes and the swab positioned in readiness for assembly in compact form;

FIG. 2 is a View partly in plan and partly in side elevation vof the assembly of the three pipes in its compact form `with the swab enclosed by the assembly;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view on a reduced scale showing a plastic casing in phantom for enclosing the assembly .in its compact form; Y

FIG. 4 shows how the swab is employed to clean a plpe; i

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of the compact assembly taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the tenor pipe;

FIG. .7 is a transverse section taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a transverse section taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 6.

In thedrawing illustrating the presently preferred pracltice of the invention, FIG. l shows the four components of the set comprising a tenor pipe 10, an alto pipe 12, a soprano pipe 14 and a swab 15. The swab 15 is provided with the usual string 16 with a folded metal weight 18 on the end of the string. The tenor pipe 10 has a barrel 20 and a mouthpiece 22, the mouthpiece having the usual window 24 formed with a sharp edged sill 25. As best shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the barrel 20 has a series of round holes 26 on its upper side for fingering with the holes dimensioned and spaced apart to produce the desired tones. In addition the barrel has the usual opening 28 on its underside. In like manner the alto pipe 12 has a barrel 30 and a mouthpiece 32 and the soprano pipe 14 has a barrel 34 and a mouthpiece 35. FIG. 4 shows, for example, how the swab 15 is employed to clean the interior of the barrel 20 of the tenor pipe.

The barrels and mouthpieces of the various pipes may be made from any suitable material. I have found, however, that making the barrels of linear polyethylene does result in exceptionally good tonal qualities. The barrels may be transparent but preferably are .translucent to make their interiors visible, the walls being colored in any desired manner.

FIG. 1 shows the four components arranged for assembly into the compact telescoped form shown in FIG. 2. First the soprano pipe 14 is telescoped into the open end of the alto pipe 12 until the outer circumferential shoulder 36 of the mouthpiece 35 of the soprano pipe abutsvthe rim 38 of the open end of the barrel of the alto pipe. Then the swab 15 with its string outermost is inserted into .the open end of the barrel 20 of the tenor pipe. The alto pipe 12 carrying the soprano pipe 14 is then telescoped into the open end of the tenor pipe 20, the alto pipe functioning in the manner of a ramrod to shift the swab 1S to the stored position shown in FIG. 2. The telescoping movement of the alto pipe is continued until the outer circumferential shoulder 40 of the mouthpiece 32 of the alto pipe abuts the rim 42 of the open end GA of the barrel 20 of the tenor pipe. The four components are then nested together n the compact form shown in FIG. 2.

With the three barrels dimensioned for relatively snug sliding it, the assembled unit shown in FIG. 2 has no troublesome tendency to rattle when carried. The assembled unit has a pleasing appearance since there is a certain symmetry in the arrangement of the two mouthpieces 22 and 32 at the opposite ends of the outer barrel 20. In addition the visibility of the interior of the assembly is in itself attractive and especially so when the barrels are lightly colored.

It is to be noted that in the assembled unit the tenor pipe cooperates with the alto pipe 12 to form a completely closed container which contines the swab and prevents contamination of the swab by exposure. Preferably a casing, shown in phanton in FIG. 3 and designated by numeral 44, is provided to enclose the assembled unit. The casing 44 may, for example, be a plastic sleeve that is permanently closed at one end and is releasably closed at the other end.

My description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention in specific detail will suggest various changes, substitutions and other departures from my disclosure within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A set of musical pipes adapted for conversion intol a compact form for storage and transportation, comprising a tenor pipe;

an alto pipe; and

a soprano pipe,

each of said pipes comprising an apertured cylindrical barrel open at one end and a mouthpiece mounted on the other end,

the barrel of the alto pipe being shorter than the barrel of the tenor pipe and being of an outside diarneter to telescope into the barrel of the tenor pipe,

the barrel of the soprano pipe being shorter than the barrel of the alto pipe and being of an outside diameter to telescope into the barrel of the alto pipe, and

the outside diameter of the mouthpiece of the soprano pipe being less than the inside diameter of the barrel of the tenor pipe,

the three pipes telescoping together in the compact is form of the set with the alto pipe closing the open end of the barrel of the tenor pipe to form therewith a closed container and with the soprano pipe inside the closed container.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 which includes a swab for cleaning the three pipes, said swab being inside said container in the compact form of the set.

3. A combination as set forth in vclaim 1 in which said barrels are made of light-transmitting plastic for visibility through the walls thereof.

4. A set of musical pipes adapted for conversion to a compact form for storage and transportation, comprising a tenor pipe;

an alto pipe; and

a soprano pipe,

each of said pipes comprising an apertured cylindrical barrel open at one end and a mouthpiece telescoped over the other end,

the barrel of the alto pipe being shorter than the barrel of the tenor pipe and being of an outside diameter to telescope into the barrel of the tenor P1136,

the barrel of the soprano pipe being shorter than the barrel of the alto pipe and being of an outside diameter to telescope into the barrel of the alto pipe, and

the outside diameter of the mouthpiece of the soprano pipe being less than the inside diameter of the barrel of the tenor pipe,

the three pipes telescoping together in the compact form of the set with the mouthpiece of the alto pipe abutting the open end of the barrel of the tenor pipe and with the mouthpiece of the soprano pipe abutting the open end of the barre-l of the alto pipe, the tenor and alto pipes forming a closed container with the soprano pipe inside the closed container.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 4 which includes a swab for cleaning the three pipes, said swab being inside said container between the mouthpieces of the tenor and soprano pipes.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 4 in which said barrels are made of linear polyethylene, the barrels being capable of light transmission for visibility through the walls thereof.

No references cited. 

1. A SET OF MUSICAL PIPES ADAPTED FOR CONVERSION INTO A COMPACT FORM FOR STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION, COMPRISING A TENOR PIPE; AN ALTO PIPE; AND A SOPRANO PIPE, EACH OF SAID PIPES COMPRISING AN APERTURED CYLINDRICAL BARREL OPEN AT ONE END AND A MOUTHPIECE MOUNTED ON THE OTHER END, THE BARREL OF THE ALTO PIPE BEING SHORTER THAN THE BARREL OF THE TENOR PIPE AND BEING OF AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER TO TELESCOPE INTO THE BARREL OF THE TENOR PIPE, THE BARREL OF THE SOPRANO PIPE BEING SHORTER THAN THE BARREL OF THE ALTO PIPE AND BEING OF AN OUTSIDE DIAMETER TO TELESCOPE INTO THE BARREL OF THE ALTO PIPE, AND THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF THE MOUTHPIECE OF THE SOPRANO PIPE BEING LESS THAN THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE BARREL OF THE TENOR PIPE, THE THREE PIPES TELESCOPING TOGETHER IN THE COMPACT FORM OF THE SET WITH THE ALTO PIPE CLOSING THE OPEN END OF THE BARREL OF THE TENOR PIPE TO FORM THEREWITH A CLOSED CONTAINER AND WITH THE SOPRANO PIPE INSIDE THE CLOSED CONTAINER. 